The research interests of the MePTI team (Mechanisms of Post-Testicular Infertility) are centered on male gametes maturation in the epididymis, and dysregulations that may lead to infertility. Using our genetically modified mouse models, we address several biological questions:
- What is the impact of epididymal oxidative stress on the genetic and epigenetic materials of male gametes?
- How does a dyslipidemia modify the epididymis physiology, the composition, the structure and the function of male gametes?
- How does the epididymis answer to the immune challenge represented by a particular dual situation: avoid an autoimmune response against male gametes and in the same time protect the organ and the gametes against ascending pathogens?
These topics are investigated using different techniques and technologies: classical male gametes biology (motility, morphology, vitality, acrosome reaction, DNA fragmentation by a semi-assisted analysis platform), DNA oxidation status evaluated by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, oxidized-DNA immunoprecipitation (Oxidip) and new generation sequencing, flow cytometry and cell sorting, molecular biology (qRT-PCR, western-blot…).